Outlet shopping at its finest – only a few minutes from Palm Desert and Palm Springs, and only a brief drive from the Inland Empire of Southern California. This is Cabazon.
Getting There
After lunch, my husband and I left the Palm Desert timeshare we were staying at and headed for the shopping paradise of Cabazon (yes, even my husband wanted to go – they have great shopping for guys too). This outlet center is located off the 10 freeway at 48750 Seminole Drive in Cabazon, California. It took us only 25-30 minutes to get there. There are 3 main areas of outlet stores, we parked at the 3rd one on the far end. Happily we decided to go on a Thursday, and, there were no real crowds.
Shopping and Service
Rip Curl – Beach and Surfer Wear for Guys and Gals
Our first stop – Rip Curl. I am a big fan of excellent service, something I am always keenly aware of when I enter a store. Upon entering Rip Curl we were politely greeted by the store cashiers. We then perused on our own. Friends of ours were hunting for tank tops, goucho pants and sweatshirts. My hubbie was looking for a new set of board shorts and jeans.
He easily found both in about 25 minutes. Both items were on sale (by the way, the prices in this place were great). I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. While I found many of the items to be cute and fun, I was really looking for pieces with a more refined sophisticated look. (Which I found – a little bit later!) After completing our purchases, Starbucks was next on the list!
Starbucks – They’ll Re-Make It If It Isn’t Just Right
Stabucks was just a few stores down from Rip Curl, and I’m a big fan – so we headed in. I have to admit, the guy at the counter was not “Starbucks Friendly.” Those who have a passion for the “Starbucks Experience” like I do will know what I am talking about…you enter, the counter people smile genuinely and offer an enthusiastic “Hello! How are you today?” You feel like you have returned to a friendly place where you know what type of experience to expect. Perhaps someone burnt his latte. I was greeted with “What can I get you?” and…no smile. I ordered my mocha frappuccino, paid, and he was onto the next person.
My frap came up, but was mightily more chocolatey than normal, in fact, so much so, I didn’t think I could drink it. No problem, the coffee gal said she’d make me another. (She did smile). I have to say, the restroom was not up to Starbucks standards. There was only one for both men and women to use, and you could tell. Still, I was grateful there was one so close. Next, we mozied on to the next huge circle of outlet stores.
Charlotte Russe – Cute and Stylish for Today’s Young Person, GREAT Prices
Both my sister and my friend that was with us that day really rave about Charlotte Russe. I admit, it was cute, real stylish, but, again, not quite the look I was going for. That said, I did find a great 3 strand bead necklace in fall colors (only $7.99). The service here was decent. Some of the storekeepers really knew their merchandise, others really did not. Had I been shopping for a dress, I would have likely purchased one here – they were great and high style yet classic looking.
Calvin Kline – Great Displays and Quality, Nice Salespeople
Next, we hit Calvin Kline. I was hunting for jeans that wouldn’t make me look like a teenager, and, that accentuated my curves nicely. (I have to admit, I didn’t get to fully appreciate the Calvin Kline experience, as I was on an important call the entire time we were in this store). Still, I liked what I saw, but no jeans jumped out at me.
Kenneth Cole Reaction – Friendly and Helpful, Once You Ask for Help
Nice store. I really liked the displays. I was on the lookout for chocolate brown heels I could wear all day, without killing my feet, and still looking great. I almost found them here. The saleswoman was helpful, once I asked for some help. But, nothing fit quite right…
Jones New York – Friendly and Helpful from the Time You Enter Until You Leave
This was my favorite store by far. I was warmly greeted by a knowledgable saleswoman the moment I entered. When I saw the displays in this store, I knew this was what I’d been looking for. Classic, stylish, well-made clothing. There were only 1 or 2 other people in the store. The well-dressed saleswoman OFFERED to help me. She actually asked if she could help me with anything. My answer was a resounding “yes!” I explained I was looking for flattering jeans with a little give in them (I am HUGE on style AND comfort). She showed me the jeans, and talked about the differences. I then wanted chocolate brown heels I could wear all day, and, that looked very stylish. The first pair she showed me ended up being the one. She also showed me a chocolate brown twist top sweater, fitted and flattering, that perfectly matched my heels. With my twist sweater, jeans and new heels on, my husband’s reaction was “wow.” I knew these were the items I’d been looking for. The only item he didn’t really like were the jeans…he said they just weren’t really me. So, I purchased the heels and the twist sweater. I thanked the salespeople at the counter for the best experience yet I’d had at Cabazon. They smiled and thanked me for saying that, they explained that they loved what they did (it showed).
Special Note: I asked several of the stores I went into when the best sales are. They all said over the holidays and the day after Thanksgiving. I, not liking crowds, inquired if I came 1-2 days BEFORE Thanksgiving, if many of the sales would be on then. The answer was yes. Guess who will be doing her Christmas shopping at Cabazon the day before Thanksgiving…
The Levi Strauss Outlet – The Place To Go For Jeans!!
Yes, I finally found my jeans here (surprise). The only danger here is getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of different types of jeans! Thankfully, the store was not very crowded and I asked for help right away. The young girl at the counter explained she was new there and went and got me a more seasoned salesperson, someone who really knew the inventory. She was very friendly and narrowed down what I wanted to 2 particular types of jeans. One was a straight leg cut, one was boot leg. I tried both, she even brought me different sizes (good service). I went with the boot leg cut, it was the most comfortable, the most flattering, and my husband liked it best. We both liked the price ($24.99). I was told they really don’t shrink. I seem to be attracted to pants that become too short for me after they go through the wash a couple times. Happy with my experience and my purchases, and, dying for dinner, we left Cabazon to return to Palm Springs. (We were so hungry that, on our way out, we grabbed a piece of pizza to split at the food court. The pizza was ok, and, the bathrooms were not that clean.)
Our next destination…The Cedar Creek Inn of Palm Springs.